


Crash Bang

by KayleeJohn



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Car Accidents, Fluff, Gen, injured!niall, mentions of Zerrie - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-05
Updated: 2013-10-05
Packaged: 2017-12-28 10:59:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/991249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KayleeJohn/pseuds/KayleeJohn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zayn doesn't mean to yell but sometimes his mouth gets him into serious trouble.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crash Bang

“You _always_ do this, Niall!” Zayn roared, slamming his fist against the kitchen table, jostling the discarded plastic red cups and crumbs of chips on the surface. “God _damn it_!”

Niall tried to laugh it off, shuffling slightly in his seat. “Zayn, just relax. It’s not that big of a-.”

“Yes, it is!” Zayn yelled, cutting Niall off. “Because this is not _your house_ okay? It’s _my house_ ,” Zayn gestured around to his dishevelled kitchen that had dishes pilled high in the sink and random cupboards wide open to show their now open insides. There was toilet paper streaming from one end to the other and things just everywhere.

“And you don’t have to deal with this! You can just walk out of the room and be done with everything and then _I_ have to deal with this.”Niall shrank more and more in his seat as Zayn continued ranting until the audible sound of giggles filtered in through the open kitchen door and he fell silent with a deadly look in his eyes.

Harry shuffled past the door, heading three scantily dressed women down the hall as he went, shooting them a sheepish smile as they continued to flirt with him. “Yes, thank you for coming.” He mumbled tugging open the door before he finally gave in and started shoving them outside. “You’ll have to thank Niall because it was his party, not mine. No, I wasn’t invited. Okay, _okay_ , thank you.” He finally slammed the door and sank against it with a sigh just as Liam and Louis walked out of the living room, bulging garbage bags in hand.

“Living room’s done,” Liam said, tying off the end of his with a grimace before he pushed the black bag by the door. “People are disgusting.”

“You should’ve seen downstairs.” Louis grumbled, adding his own bag to Liam’s. “I think someone took a piss in the corner and then tried to clean it up with napkins; smelled disgusting anyways. If you’ll excuse me, I need to go burn my hands off.” He made to turn away but Liam stopped him, grabbing onto his shoulder lightly.

“We’ll go deal with Niall first and then you can go deal with your hands.” Liam grabbed Harry’s shoulder as well and pushed them into the kitchen where Zayn was still glaring at Niall and Niall was studiously avoiding all their eyes, glancing down at his hands. The threesome stopped by the table but Niall still didn’t look up so Louis clicked his tongue.

“Niall,” He said, crossing his arms over his chest. “What on _earth_ possessed you to throw a party at Zayn’s house?”

Niall glanced up but avoided their irate expressions, twisting his head from side to side as if to work out a kink in his neck. “Well, he wasn’t here and… I just thought…” Niall clapped his hands desperately to the table top and finally met eyes with Harry who he assumed would be the most sympathetic, the kindest of all even when mad. “He was staying over at Perrie’s and… No one was here!” Niall sighed and shook his head, slumping against the back of the chair and mumbling low. “It was an empty house. My house isn’t big enough, you know? So, I just… I just thought…”

“You just thought…” Zayn snapped before he let out a bitter laugh. “God, Niall, that’s the problem with you. You don’t ever think past the surface. You didn’t think of how I would feel or how the party would end up with such a mess?!”

Niall let out a little whine in the back of his throat, squirming uncomfortably in his seat. “I’m sorry. It was a mistake.” His voice was a hoarse beg, pleading Zayn to listen to him through his sniffles but Zayn’s face was as stony and angry as ever.

“You’re damn right it was a mistake,” He snapped, clenching his fists on the counter top. “But sorry is not good enough, Niall.”

“Zayn,” Niall sobbed, tears filling his eyes with the threat of sneaking down his cheeks because all he wanted was his best friend back.

“You know,” Zayn laughed bitterly, turning away from Niall with a sneer. “Sometimes, I really hate you.”

That time, Niall did let out a sob and he clapped his hands to his mouth as the flood gates opened but still Zayn wouldn’t look at him so he pushed away from the table and sprinted out of the kitchen, slamming the front door behind himself.

Instantly, as soon as it was closed, Liam took Niall’s seat. “Don’t you think you were a little harsh, Zayn?”

“We need to be!” Zayn pushed out of his seat and headed over to the fridge, wondering if there were any beers left because he could really use a drink. “That’s the only damn way he’s gonna understand.” Zayn pulled open the fridge but let out a yell as, instead of shelves inside, there was a human body, all curled up on itself, head pressed against his knees. Zayn stepped aside so the others could see as well and they let out shocked gasps.

“Is he dead?” Louis asked, moving forward but he jumped back and crushed Harry’s toes as the person inside tilted their head and opened their eyes, lashes crusted with ice. “That is so fucking _weird_.” He whispered but Zayn was having none of it.

Zayn reached into the fridge and unceremoniously tugged the man out. “Get the fuck out of my house.” He growled, pointing toward the front door and, slowly but surely and in stiff movements, the man stood up from the floor and disappeared down the hall, a short click of the door as the only notice that he had left the house. Zayn sighed and slammed the fridge shut, leaning his head against it as he groaned. “This is the bullshit I put up with.” He groaned low, gritting his teeth.

“Zayn,” Harry started from behind, shaking Louis off so he could walk forward and touch at Zayn’s shoulder. “Just breathe, okay? We’ll call some cleaners and we’ll have your house looking good as new in no time.”

“What, so this can happen again?” Zayn mumbled low, shaking his head as if to say ‘no thanks’.

“I think Niall’s learned his lesson, you know? You didn’t see his face when he left, Zayn. Just, call him up. Tell him to come back. He’s not in a state to be alone, let alone think you’re mad at him.” Harry rubbed his hand over Zayn’s shoulder comfortingly until Zayn nodded and pulled away from the fridge, dipping into his pocket to pull out his cell phone but, as soon as he did, it started buzzing.

“Speak of the devil,” Zayn mumbled, seeing Niall’s name flash up on the screen and showing it to the others before he picked up. “Where are you?” He asked in more of a sigh than he had intended but he wasn’t going to deal with small talk. He just wanted to know where Niall was so he could go pick him up.

“Excuse me. This isn’t my phone, I just,” A stranger’s voice started and Zayn immediately frowned, pulling the phone away from his ear to glare at it.

“Who’s this?” He growled low, thinking someone had taken Niall’s phone during the party, which would be just _great_. “Who are you?”

“I’m sorry! I just– let me explain! Do you know the owner of this phone?” The man continued in a frantic voice and Zayn stared blankly at the wall.

“Yes, he’s my friend.” Zayn started, speaking carefully so as not to reveal much to this potential thief.

“Well, you’re listed as an emergency number for them on their phone. I’m really sorry. Your friend’s been in an accident, a bad one at that. I was just a witness but the car’s completely totalled and the paramedics are trying to resuscitate him but it’s not – There’s just so much blood.”

Zayn felt as if all the air had been sucked out of his lungs and he choked, stumbled back in his step until he hit the skin and he sank to the floor, grasping at his throat desperately as the rest of the man’s words fell on deaf ears. Zayn only realized he’d hung up the phone, or maybe the stranger had, when the dial tone rang high in his ear and he let the phone fall limp from his hand, cracking rough against the floor.

“Zayn, what’s wrong?” Louis said instantly, rushing over to crouch in front of him. “Where’s Niall?”

“A-a-accident…” Zayn stuttered out, wrapping his hands around his knees to hug them close. “He was in an accident…”

“What?!”

The other three asked questions and tried to speak over each other but all Zayn could think about was, “The last thing I told him was that I hate him, oh god,” He clapped his hand to his face as a sob racked up his chest and Louis’ arms wrapped around him, whispering in his ear and trying to comfort him but he was, in every sense, completely broken.

 

Liam hauled a dejected Zayn off the floor and they all rushed out of the house, piling into the car. Louis was behind the wheel but Liam and Harry crowded in the back, holding up Zayn’s sides as he fell limp against the back seats, covering his face as he shook with sobs.

“It’s okay, Zayn.” Louis said from the front seat, glancing into the rear view mirror for a moment as he tried to go as fast as possible while still staying under the speed limit because the last thing they needed was a cop to pull them over. “We’re gonna get to the hospital and he’s gonna be all patched up. He’s gonna be just fine, okay?”

But Zayn barely heard Louis’ words as he ducked into his knees and choked. “Why didn’t I just forgive him?” He cried, tugging at his hair harshly. “This is all my fault!”

“This is not your fault, Zayn.” Liam said, pulling Zayn’s fingers from his hair so that he didn’t tear his hair out. “It was an accident, okay? He’s gonna be just fine.”

Louis screeched the car to a halt outside the door and twisted around to look into the backseat as Zayn literally crawled over Harry’s lap to wrench open the door. “Just go.” He said, gesturing after Zayn quickly as Harry ran after them. “I’ll park the car. Just go.” Liam nodded and jumped out last and Louis peeled away toward the parking lot.

When Liam ran into the hospital, Zayn was trying to speak to the nurse and Harry was trying to comfort him but they were both so unintelligible that the nurse just looked so flustered. Liam rushed over and clapped a hand to the back of Zayn’s neck, trying to calm him down so they could get a proper response.

Liam leaned in close, pressing his lips to Zayn’s ear as he thumbed over his skin. “It’s okay, Zayn. Just, let me, let me.” Zayn twisted and buried his face into Liam’s neck and Liam wrapped his arms around Zayn’s shoulders, coddling him.

Harry instantly turned to the nurse, planting his hands flat against the counter so they would stop shaking. “Our friend was in a car crash. Has he been brought in yet?”

The nurse turned to the computer and started looking through something before she turned back to Harry. “An accident on Maine and Billingsworth, at 9:35?”

“I don’t know!” Harry said exasperatedly, trying to remember when the phone call had been. It could only have been minutes after the crash but they had deliberated at home for 10 minutes, trying to get Zayn back on his feet. The drive had still only taken 15 minutes so, “Yes, yes, that one.”

“He’s in room A.5.16.” The nurse said, glancing up at the threesome as Louis ran into the hospital room, glancing around frantically. Zayn pulled out of Liam’s arms, jerking forward as he ran toward the elevators and the others rushed to follow, barely sparing the nurse a final look before they went. They managed to get on before the doors closed but the tension was so thick in the air that no one bothered to speak or hush Zayn’s sniffling.

It felt as if they were in the elevator for hours and ever single ding was a piercing yell in Zayn’s head. When the doors finally started to open, he pushed through them hurriedly and took off in a sprint, slipping through the room effortlessly. The other three rushed after him but Zayn was gone like a flash. It was only when they reached the room that they caught up with him only to see that Zayn was forcibly being restrained by a nurse in green scrubs.

“Sir, I’m going to need you to calm down. You are scaring the other patrons, sir.” The man said, staring at the others desperately when they stopped behind. “You can’t go in yet, sir. The doctors are still dealing with the patient.”

“He’s not just a _fucking_ patient.” Zayn shoved the nurse away as his shoulders heaved and Liam stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Zayn again to hold him back.

“You’re right, Zayn. He’s not just a patient. But you need to calm down, okay? Just, breathe.” Zayn’s knees buckled beneath him and Liam followed him down, holding him close as Zayn knotted his fingers into his hair again, heavy breaths wracking out of his throat.

“Is he,” Louis started, walking around Zayn and Liam to address the nurse directly as Harry peered through the little window to see four doctors fussing around a bed but he couldn’t quite see Niall on it for which he was thankful. He didn’t want to see how bad it was.

“How is he?” Louis nodded toward the door and the window and the nurse glanced over for a moment before looking up at Louis with flat eyes.

“You can ask the doctors themselves.” The nurse stepped back just as the four doctors walked out of the room, falling silent when they took in Louis, Liam, Zayn, and Harry.

“How is he?” Harry stepped forward now, not chancing a glance at the window now that he could see. He wanted to know the damage before he saw it, just so he could prepare himself if only a little.

The doctors share an illegible look before three of them walk away, leaving one man left to face the four boys. “He was in a terrible accident. I… His car was hit by a truck and he was forcibly ejected from the vehicle, launched 20 feet through the air. He has major bruising and scratches along his left side, four broken ribs: three on his left side, one on his right, he had severe internal bleeding that we managed to patch up but he will need additional surgery once he’s stabilized. This is just the tip of the iceberg on a very long list. I am so sorry.”

“Can I go see him?” Zayn asked, standing up suddenly and pushing his way through Harry and Louis to look up at the doctor through red rimmed eyes.

“He’s not awake.” The doctor started in a sympathetic voice but Zayn hurried cut him off.

“Please. I just, just need to,” Zayn clapped a hand to his mouth desperately, trying to muffle more sobs that threatened to pour out.  

The doctor eyed Zayn for a beat longer before he stepped aside and Zayn all but rushed forward, glancing over his shoulder instead and Liam squeezed his shoulder comfortingly. “We’ll wait out here.”

Zayn nodded and moved into the room, feeling like he had been punched in the gut once his eyes landed on Niall’s limpid form. He had bandages wrapping around his head, wrapped thickly around before they ducked to cover the left side of his face, bruises panting his skin in thick splotches. From what Zayn could see, Niall had binds wrapped thick around his chest and a cast framing his left arm, but he had the covers tucked neatly under his arms so Zayn couldn’t see much else.

Zayn clutched a hand to his throat as he edged around the bed, taking a seat to the left of it so he could take Niall’s right hand gingerly. “God, I…” Zayn mumbled, watching the way Niall’s chest rose and fell slowly. “I’m so sorry.” He sobbed, dropping his head so he could press his forehead to the back of Niall’s hand. “I’m so, so sorry.” Zayn pressed his trembling lips to Niall’s hand until he got himself under control, the shaking in his breath and trembling in his lips.

He looked up at Niall’s blank face but still let out a shaky breath. “C’mon, Niall, wake up.” Zayn waited a beat, and then another, and then his lips curled down in a sob that would never leave his throat. “Please, please, please,” He shut his eyes as he whimpered.

“You can have all the parties you want in my house.” Zayn stroked his thumb over the back of Niall’s hand softly, carding his thumb over the mere inches of smooth skin left. “You can burn in to the ground and I swear I won’t yell just…” Zayn couldn’t keep in the sob he let out and he let his head hang down again. “Just, please wake up. Niall, _please_ wake up.”

Zayn squeezed his eyes shut to hold the tears in as he waited and waited and waited and the only thing he heard was that god damn beep, beep, beep from the heart rate monitor. He rocked back and forth slowly as tears streamed down his face and he sank his teeth into his bottom lip as he whined.

“Zee?”

The voice made Zayn jerk back, bumping his chair back as his head snapped up so fast it cracked. Niall’s eyes were open just the slightest sliver but Zayn could see blue and the warmth that leaked into his stomach was a feeling he couldn’t even begin to describe so he just let out a sob. “Oh god, Niall.”

Zayn stood up from his chair and reached out to cup Niall’s cheek but Niall winced and turned away and only then did Zayn remember the innumerable list of Niall’s injuries. “Sorry, sorry.” Zayn jerked his hand away, touching at Niall’s chest softly to soothe him as he sat back in his chair, scooting closer so he could take Niall’s hand again. “They said, they said you…” He stammered before he just shook his head. “God, Niall,”

“Zee,” Niall sighed, letting his eyes flutter shut lightly before he opened them again, twisting his hand so he could lace his and Zayn’s fingers together and he smiled just the slightest bit when Zayn squeezed them gently.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you, Niall.” Zayn mumbled, cradling their joint hands with his free one lightly.

“S’okay,” Niall mumbled, voice ragged and wrecked and tearing up his lungs. “I’m sorry about your house.” He took a shuddery breath and Zayn held his hand just a little tighter, shuffling just a little closer to him on the bed.

“It’s okay, Niall. I don’t care about that, okay? It’s fine. Everything’s fine.” Zayn blurted out, rushing to speak in a strong voice but it came out in more of a sob than anything. “Just, stay with me, okay?”

“You’re not mad?” Niall asked quietly but Zayn shook his head, raising Niall’s hand to his lips to press a soft kiss against it.

“No, I’m not mad.” Zayn breathed against Niall’s hand, laughing in a shaky voice. “I love you so much. Forget anything I said. I love you, Niall.”

“I love you too.” Niall sighed in happiness before he let his eyes shut lightly. Zayn’s heart started beating a little faster but he hoped and prayed and wished that Niall was just falling asleep. Luck was not on his side evidently because, the heart rate machine started beeping slower and slower from about two beeps per second to one every five and Zayn clapped a hand to Niall’s chest.

“Niall,” He said in a warbling voice, shaking Niall a little as if to jostle him from his slumber but his body was limp like Zayn was shaking a doll instead of a human. “Niall, please, don’t do this.” He sobbed, grabbing at the railing around the bed before he reached for Niall again.

“Niall!” A long, continuous beep sounded throughout the room and Zayn darted to look over at the heart rate machine, seeing a long, straight line on the display instead of the steady up down up down up down. “No!” He roared, pulling away from Niall to run toward the door. “Someone help me!” He screeched out into the hall before he stumbled back to the bed, sobbing as he grabbed at Niall’s arms.

He felt arms wrap around his chest again and he started to fight against them until he heard Liam’s voice in his head. He didn’t understand what Liam was saying but he was dragging him away from the bed, clearing the way for a doctor and two nurses and a crash cart with a defibrillator. Zayn flailed roughly against Liam as he could do nothing but watch as the doctor pressed the metal paddles to Niall’s chest and his body jolted with electric shocks before falling limply back to the bed.

“Niall!” Zayn roared hoarsely, trying futilely to fight against Liam when he suddenly felt a new set of hands grabbing at his arm. He twisted his head around only to see a nurse with a syringe filled with thick grey liquid and he started freaking out but Liam still wasn’t letting go and the new hands kept his arm straight and stiff. He tried to jerk away but the nurse still injected him before pulling away.

Zayn tried to shove away from Liam, tried to pull back but Liam still held him fast, looping his arms under Zayn’s to keep him steady. A disturbing sense of calm started to settle over Zayn, body sagging limp against Zayn and he wondered what exactly he had been shot up with because he was started to feel extremely tired. “Niall,” Zayn whimpered one last pathetic time before he crumpled to the floor and all went black.

 

Months later, Louis found himself filling his mug with steaming water before he carried it carefully to the table, sitting across from Liam. He kicked at Liam’s foot lightly, knocking him out of his stupor, but Liam just looked up at him blankly before he stared back at his untouched sandwich.

“How do you think he is?” Louis asked after a moment, wrapping his hands around the warm mug as he curled up in his chair. Liam spared him a look before he pushed his plate away and Louis sighed. “I mean all things considered…”

“I don’t know, Lou. I just don’t know.” Liam trailed off, licking at his lips tentatively. “I mean, he was fine on Tuesday, a mess on Wednesday. It could either way.” Liam shrugged his shoulders and pushed away from the table. “But someone has to go check up on him.”

Harry walked through the doorway to catch the end of their conversation but he knew what they were talking about. It was all they had been talking about for  _months_. “I’ll go.” Harry offered, holding up his hand as simply as if he was taking attendance in class.

Liam sank back into his chair almost instantly, trying to subdue the deep sigh he let out before he nodded at Harry. “Okay, just,” He started but Harry held up his hand.

“I know. Don’t bring  _it_  up.” Harry shot the two a sheepish smile before he slid out of the kitchen. He started making his way up the stairs but every step felt like a man on his way to death row. He took a deep breath when he stopped outside Zayn’s bedroom door, touching the cool doorknob before he pulled his hand away. He regretted volunteering. He really didn’t want to do this.

Harry stiffened his shoulders before he reached for the door again, opening it with a long creak and he winced. The room inside was dark, a mix of red and orange staining the air, but Harry could still make out the shape of a body on the bed, still but not dormant. Harry toyed with the idea of just turning around, leaving, and telling the others that Zayn was fine but they were no doubt listening from the bottom of the stairs, waiting with bated breath.

“Zayn?” Harry called out cautiously, taking a step into the darkness but wary of moving too far. “Are you awake?”

“Yes.” That was the whispered reply from Zayn, sending chills down Harry’s spine. He shifted from foot to foot in the room, glancing around anywhere else but at the bed.

“It’s morning.” He said, shoving his hands deep into his pockets.

There was a moment of pause, some movement on the bed that Harry saw out of the corner of his eye before Zayn piped up again. “Is it?” He asked in a voice temperate laced with just a fine amount of curiosity.

“Yes, it is.” Harry nodded slowly even if Zayn couldn’t see him. “Would you like some breakfast?” None of them were sure when Zayn had eaten last, if at all for the last few days, but it wasn’t as if they weren’t trying. They kept offering and offering but he seemed to have no appetite.

The silence stretched on between them, almost tangible with tension, and Harry glanced behind himself through the open doorway as if he would find a friend there but it was as empty as the words Zayn spoke next. “No.” Zayn’s voice had dropped low, almost a growl in the back of his throat and Harry took a step back, dropping his eyes to the ground before he squared his shoulders again.

“Are you sure? We can get anything you want.” Harry offered in a jovial tone, forcing a smile onto his face.

“I said, no.”

“Okay.” Harry held up his hands in surrender, stepping back again so he was framed in the bedroom doorway. “Alright, that’s fine.”

“Shut the door on your way out.” Zayn mumbled and Harry felt swamped with defeat. What he wouldn’t give to just ‘walk out’ but he couldn’t do that. He had to  _try_.

“Zayn, you can’t stay in here forever.” Harry insisted, wringing his hands in front of himself desperately.

Zayn’s body suddenly jerked, twisting the sheets around him as he sat up and, though it was hard to tell, Harry could see him glaring across the room at him. “Harry, I said-,” Zayn started in a hiss when a third voice chimed in, hoarse from underuse.

“Zee?” Niall’s words cracked in the middle and Harry winced, fearing Zayn’s backlash, but Zayn’s eyes softened and he turned back to Niall, returning his hand back to where he had been stroking the pads of his fingers into Niall’s skin as if he instantly forgot Harry had even been there.

“Shh, it’s okay, Niall.” Zayn murmured, curling tight into Niall’s side again. “I’m here. Harry was just leaving.” Zayn’s words left no room for argument so Harry nodded and bowed his way out, leaving Zayn and Niall to do whatever it was they got up to as he shut the door with that same long creak. Zayn eyed the door for a moment in case someone else decided to make an appearance but they didn’t so Zayn curled Niall up in his arms a little further. “I love you, Niall.”

“Love you too, Zee.” Niall mumbled into the crook of Zayn’s neck, wrapping his arms tighter around Zayn’s waist.

“Never gonna leave your side.” Zayn laced his fingers into Niall’s hair to tilt his head back so he could press a lingering kiss against the crown of Niall’s head. “I swear I won’t lose you again.” Niall hummed happily and buried his head back into Zayn’s throat, crawling his hands under Zayn’s shirt to press them into the dips on his hip. “Never again,”

**Author's Note:**

> This has also been posted on wattpad under the same name and tumblr under leprechauncupcakes! Anywhere else is not me so please let me know!


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